The Half King - Book Review

 

The Half King (The Half King #1)

by Melissa Landers

What is it about:

The Great Betrayal changed everything for the Allied Realm. Long ago, the kingdom’s noble houses rose up against the goddess... and for their treachery, the firstborn of each noble family was cursed.

One with perilous beauty.

One with destructive knowledge.

One with insatiable bloodlust.

But the royal house Mortara received the worst affliction of all. For while the king exists during the day, he fades into nothingness at night...until his twenty-first birthday, when he will be lost to the shadows forever.

Now an acolyte has arrived at court. Like all the second-born children of the Allied Realm, she’s destined to serve the goddess and become a Seer...only Cerise Solon has no gift of foretelling. In fact, she has no magical gift at all.

Instead, she’s surrounded by courtiers and priests—smiling sycophants whose hearts are filled with secrets and lies. And at the center of it all sits His Majesty Kian Hannibal Mortara, with his haunting eyes, sharp tongue, and an unerring ability to send her pulse skittering at the worst possible moments.

Falling for him is unthinkable. Because the king is the last of his line, and as the specter of his twenty-first birthday—and the full force of his curse—approaches, the kingdom holds its breath.

But there’s only one way to save a dying king... and it lies with the one person who’s hiding the biggest secret of all. Cerise.

What did I think of it:

I've read several of Landers' YA books and really enjoyed those, so I decided to give this (New Adult) Fantasy Romance a try.

And this was a very enjoyable read.

There were some things in the worldbuilding that didn't seem very practical to me, but they were not world breaking, so I decided to go with where the story led me.

I really liked Cerise so I was invested in seeing her thrive and get on top of things. Kian and his best friend were both really fun characters as well. The story itself entertaining with some interesting twists. Landers has a writing voice I really enjoy, so I flew through this book in a day, eager to see if things would turn out how I wanted them to. 

All in all a fun read. I will keep an eye on future releases by Landers for sure.

Why should you read it:

It's a very enjoyable Fantasy Romance

Mischief Maker - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

 

Mischief Maker

by Lyonne Riley

What is it about:

Kireth is an immortal, a mischief-maker, carved from stone and given life by the goddess. Faela, a poor peasant woman with a dying farm, summons him to help fix it. Though Kireth is bound to complete one hundred tasks for her, he will interpret them how he pleases—even if it means causing trouble.

But there’s more going on at Faela’s farm than a simple girl trying to maintain it alone and failing. The crops are withering, the fences breaking, the house falling apart, and not even Kireth knows why.

As he starts to fall for the sad girl with the fierce heart, he decides to pursue the truth, even though the answer might tear them apart.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:

I was in the mood for an uncomplicated, fun Fantasy Romance, and even though the author calls this a monster romance it came close enough in my opinion.

This is an enjoyable read.

The romance is hot and sweet, the overall story interesting enough to serve as the background to the developing romance. The length of the story is just right if you're looking for a quick romance fix.

I might read more by Riley when I'm in the mood.

Why should you read it:

It's an enjoyable Fantasy/Monster Romance

Swordheart - Book Review

 

Swordheart (Swordheart #1)

by T. Kingfisher

What is it about:

Halla has unexpectedly inherited the estate of a wealthy uncle. Unfortunately, she is also saddled with money-hungry relatives full of devious plans for how to wrest the inheritance away from her.

While locked in her bedroom, Halla inspects the ancient sword that's been collecting dust on the wall since before she moved in. Out of desperation, she unsheathes it—and suddenly a man appears. His name is Sarkis, he tells her, and he is an immortal warrior trapped in a prison of enchanted steel.

Sarkis is sworn to protect whoever wields the sword, and for Halla—a most unusual wielder—he finds himself fending off not grand armies and deadly assassins but instead everything from kindly-seeming bandits to roving inquisitors to her own in-laws. But as Halla and Sarkis grow closer, they overlook the biggest threat of all—the sword itself.

What did I think of it:

I'm loving everything I'm reading by Kingfisher, so I decided to also try her Fantasy Romance.

And Swordheart did not disappoint.

Halla is a fun heroine, even if she does have the habit to babble a lot. It was Sarkis, and in almost equal extent Zale and Brindle (two side characters), who made the book for me though. I think I enjoyed the adventure, the snark, and discussions even more than the romance.

Some turns in this story were easy to see coming, but I think that might have been because Kingfisher wanted the reader to see it, so you could enjoy seeing Halla and her travel companions react to it.

There was one part of this story that felt like it would be important, but in hindsight was more of a side quest without a real conclusion. I'll be interested to see if this will become important in the next book (even though that will feature other main characters) or if this part could have been cut. It was a fun sidestep, so no harm done in my opinion.

Overall another cool read. I totally bought Paladin's Grace to try next.

Why should you read it:

It's a fun and adventurous Fantasy Romance

On McPig's Wishlist - Among the Thorns

 

Among the Thorns

by Jennifer K. Lambert

Ambitious young sorceress Rose of Northbrooke is about to graduate. She’s the only known dream sorcerer of her generation and she's a remarkable one—formidably powerful, strikingly beautiful, and destined for greatness. No wonder she has a prince of the realm trailing her skirts.

But when rumors of dream magic gone awry reach her ear, Rose discovers she’s not the only oneiromancer of her generation. And she might not be the most powerful.

In a faraway cottage, Thorn has lived a simple and isolated life. She’s kept hidden by magic that prevents her from wandering past the cottage fence. Thorn longs to be a part of the world, to learn more about her magic, to be rescued by a prince who could love her with his whole heart.

When she discovers there’s another dream sorceress out there who has everything Thorn has ever wanted—freedom, education, prince and all—her acceptance of her isolation transforms into a hunger for everything she has been denied. Everything Rose has.

When Rose and Thorn meet, they realize their lives have been a lie and their fates have been carefully planned by political schemers. The outcome is only one sorceress can live in the open, reap all the glory of her kingdom, and claim the prince’s loving hand… condemning the other to a life of perpetual non-existence.

Deliciously messy and lusciously romantic, Among the Thorns will pierce your heart.

Expected publication July 14, 2026

Hemlock & Silver - Book Review

 

Hemlock & Silver

by T. Kingfisher

What is it about:

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all.

What did I think of it:

If you've been reading my blog for awhile you will know I'm a big fan of T. Kingfisher's Horror, and also loved A Sorceress Comes to Call, which is a re-imagining of The Goose Girl. So I needed this re-imagining of Snow White of course!

And it's so good!

I loved Anja from the start. She's someone who wants to solve problems, do science to help people, but she doesn't necessarily like people. At times she's even a bit jaded. Pair her up with a guard who's just as socially inapt and I was hooked.

The world created in this story is intriguing and creepy. As in A Sorceress Comes to Call there are elements from the original fairytale, but Kingfisher creates her own unique story with those elements instead of following the original plot.

I can tell you I finished this book in a day and I'm hoping Kingfisher will write more re-imaginings like this.

Why should you read it:

It's a beautiful Fantasy Read.  

Teaser Tuesdays - Paladin's Grace

 

It was the wrong thing to say. Her grey-green eyes chilled.

 (page 28, Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher)

---------

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, previously hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their  TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Dungeon Crawler Carl - Book Review

 

Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl #1)

by Matt Dinniman

What is it about:

The apocalypse will be televised!

A man. His ex-girlfriend's cat. A sadistic game show unlike anything in the universe: a dungeon crawl where survival depends on killing your prey in the most entertaining way possible.

In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth—from Buckingham Palace to the tiniest of sheds—collapses in a heap, sinking into the ground.

The buildings and all the people inside have all been atomized and transformed into the dungeon: an 18-level labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, and loot. A dungeon so enormous, it circles the entire globe.

Only a few dare venture inside. But once you're in, you can't get out. And what's worse, each level has a time limit. You have but days to find a staircase to the next level down, or it's game over. In this game, it's not about your strength or your dexterity. It's about your followers, your views. Your clout. It's about building an audience and killing those goblins with style.

You can't just survive here. You gotta survive big.

You gotta fight with vigor, with excitement. You gotta make them stand up and cheer. And if you do have that "it" factor, you may just find yourself with a following. That's the only way to truly survive in this game—with the help of the loot boxes dropped upon you by the generous benefactors watching from across the galaxy.

They call it Dungeon Crawler World. But for Carl, it's anything but a game.

What did I think of it:

I got this book as a present from a friend who absolutely loves this series. And after reading this book I can understand why.

Carl and Princess Donut end up in a dungeon after aliens destroy earth. Only by beating the dungeon can Carl hope to get back to a normal(ish) life.

I loved seeing how Carl handles what is thrown at him, and I loved the interaction between him and Princess Donut even more. There's lots of humor in between tense and gruesome events. Some really squicked me out, others got me thinking. Because next to this being a very humorous lit-RPG this book doesn't shy away from putting a rotting finger on social issues.

All in all this book is a wild ride, and I might buy the next one once I've reduced my TBR a bit.

Why should you read it:

It's a cool (as my friend calls it) 'Cozy Splatter Fantasy'